US military forces have used a high-energy laser to bring down 11 cartel-linked drones along the US-Mexico border since the system was introduced last month, officials said.
The Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser, known as AMP-HEL, was first deployed in border protection operations on August 24. By Friday, September 4, service members from Joint Task Force–Southern Border had used it against 11 unmanned aircraft systems.
US Northern Command said the drones had been assessed as being linked to illicit activity and were defeated during operations carried out in support of US Customs and Border Protection.
The task force operates under US Northern Command and has integrated the mobile laser into a wider defence system along the southern border. Officials said the capability was being used to counter threats to military personnel and border agents.
The latest figures include three drones brought down during overnight operations on August 25 and 26. Those strikes took place in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, according to the US military.
More than 300 drones have been brought down along the border since the start of 2026 using a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic systems. More than 100 were defeated during August alone.
US Northern Command has not disclosed the precise location of all the laser engagements or confirmed whether any took place over Mexican territory. It has also not identified the cartels believed to be associated with the aircraft.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned that any unilateral US operation on Mexican soil would represent a grave breach of Mexico’s sovereignty. She has repeatedly said security co-operation with Washington must take place with the authorisation of the Mexican government.
